Bold Ruckus (USA)
February 6, 1976 – July 1996
Boldnesian (USA) x Raise a Ruckus (USA), by Raise a Native (USA)
Family 14-e
February 6, 1976 – July 1996
Boldnesian (USA) x Raise a Ruckus (USA), by Raise a Native (USA)
Family 14-e
Although he stayed well enough to run second to Smarten in the 1979 Ohio Derby (USA-G2), Bold Ruckus gained most of the racing reputation he had in the sprint ranks and retired without any graded stakes wins to his credit. This was not a race record likely to attract mares to his court, and his pedigree boasted neither fashionable lines nor a “sire-producing” female family. But Bold Ruckus did not know that he was not supposed to be a successful sire. While he never climbed into the ranks of the commercially popular stallions of North America, he was second on the North American freshman sire list in 1984 and became a perennial leading sire in Canada, a role that landed him in that nation’s Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Race record
24 starts, 8 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$201,913
1978:
1979:
Honors
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2006)
Assessments
Rated at 113 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1978, 13 pounds below champion Spectacular Bid.
Rated at 118 pounds on the Canadian Free Handicap for juveniles of 1978, 4 pounds below champion Medaille d’Or.
Rated at 115 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1979, 14 pounds below champion Star de Naskra.
As an individual
A smoothly-made, well-balanced dark bay or brown horse, Bold Ruckus had a well laid shoulder and more rein length than is commonly seen in sprinters but was a little short and upright in his pasterns. He stood 16.1 hands.
As a stallion
According to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Bold Ruckus led the Canadian general sire list 10 times; he was second to Vice Regent on another four occasions. He was known as a consistent sire of speed and soundness. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Bold Ruckus sired 427 winners (65.8%) and 62 stakes winners (9.6%) from 648 named foals.
Notable progeny
Beau Genius (CAN), Bold Executive (CAN), Bold Ruritana (CAN), Gal in a Ruckus (CAN), King Corrie (CAN), King Ruckus (CAN)
Notable progeny of daughters
Bolulight (CAN), Embur's Song (CAN), Scotzanna (CAN)
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Bold Ruckus was bred by Lin-Drake Farm. He was owned by Gerald E. Going, who bought the colt as a yearling for US$36,000 at the 1977 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling sale. He was trained by J. C. “Jerry” Meyer. Syndicated following his racing career, he entered stud in 1981 at Park Stud in Ontario, where he stood until his death from laminitis in July 1996.
Pedigree notes
Bold Ruckus is inbred 3x4 to 1947 American champion sprinter Polynesian, 4x5 to 1935 American Horse of the Year Discovery, 5x5 to two-time American champion sire Sickle, and 5x5 to the good American racer and sire Black Servant. He is a half brother to multiple Grade 3 winner Tarantara (by For the Moment) and to multiple stakes winner Class Night (by Graustark). He is also a half brother to stakes-placed Daisy Miller (by Distinctive), dam of stakes winners Vindaloo (by Riva Ridge) and Phone Bid (by Spectacular Bid), and to Lunar Destiny (by In Reality), third dam of Grade 3 winner Abounding Truth.
Bold Ruckus’ dam Raise a Ruckus is an unraced half sister to two-time American champion handicap female Old Hat (by Boston Doge), second dam of Grade 3 winner Rash but Royal. She is also a half sister to Richalya (by Boston Doge), dam of the minor stakes winner Kentito (by Al Hattab).
Raise a Ruckus and her siblings were produced from the winning Double Jay mare Fine Feathers. The next dam in the tail-female line, Rare Susan (by Agrarian, a stakes-placed son of Sickle), is a winning half sister to 1938 Illinois Derby winner Gov. Chandler (by Reigh Count) and to Spiteful Sue (by Heather Broom), dam of two-time Colonial Handicap winner Venomous (by Mel Hash) and 1959 Vagrancy Handicap winner Dandy Blitzer (by Bull Dandy) and second dam of 1968 Black Helen Handicap winner Treacherous and the good sprinter and sire Explodent.
Fun facts
Last updated: November 10, 2024
Race record
24 starts, 8 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$201,913
1978:
- 2nd Display Stakes (CAN, 8FD, Greenwood)
- 3rd Nashua Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct).
- Also set a course record of 1:00 flat for 5 furlongs on turf at Woodbine
1979:
- Won Chief Pennekeck Handicap (USA, 6FD, Meadowland)
- Won Select Handicap (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Ohio Derby (USA-G2, 9FD, Thistledown)
- 3rd Olympia Stakes (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)
Honors
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2006)
Assessments
Rated at 113 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1978, 13 pounds below champion Spectacular Bid.
Rated at 118 pounds on the Canadian Free Handicap for juveniles of 1978, 4 pounds below champion Medaille d’Or.
Rated at 115 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1979, 14 pounds below champion Star de Naskra.
As an individual
A smoothly-made, well-balanced dark bay or brown horse, Bold Ruckus had a well laid shoulder and more rein length than is commonly seen in sprinters but was a little short and upright in his pasterns. He stood 16.1 hands.
As a stallion
According to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Bold Ruckus led the Canadian general sire list 10 times; he was second to Vice Regent on another four occasions. He was known as a consistent sire of speed and soundness. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Bold Ruckus sired 427 winners (65.8%) and 62 stakes winners (9.6%) from 648 named foals.
Notable progeny
Beau Genius (CAN), Bold Executive (CAN), Bold Ruritana (CAN), Gal in a Ruckus (CAN), King Corrie (CAN), King Ruckus (CAN)
Notable progeny of daughters
Bolulight (CAN), Embur's Song (CAN), Scotzanna (CAN)
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Bold Ruckus was bred by Lin-Drake Farm. He was owned by Gerald E. Going, who bought the colt as a yearling for US$36,000 at the 1977 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling sale. He was trained by J. C. “Jerry” Meyer. Syndicated following his racing career, he entered stud in 1981 at Park Stud in Ontario, where he stood until his death from laminitis in July 1996.
Pedigree notes
Bold Ruckus is inbred 3x4 to 1947 American champion sprinter Polynesian, 4x5 to 1935 American Horse of the Year Discovery, 5x5 to two-time American champion sire Sickle, and 5x5 to the good American racer and sire Black Servant. He is a half brother to multiple Grade 3 winner Tarantara (by For the Moment) and to multiple stakes winner Class Night (by Graustark). He is also a half brother to stakes-placed Daisy Miller (by Distinctive), dam of stakes winners Vindaloo (by Riva Ridge) and Phone Bid (by Spectacular Bid), and to Lunar Destiny (by In Reality), third dam of Grade 3 winner Abounding Truth.
Bold Ruckus’ dam Raise a Ruckus is an unraced half sister to two-time American champion handicap female Old Hat (by Boston Doge), second dam of Grade 3 winner Rash but Royal. She is also a half sister to Richalya (by Boston Doge), dam of the minor stakes winner Kentito (by Al Hattab).
Raise a Ruckus and her siblings were produced from the winning Double Jay mare Fine Feathers. The next dam in the tail-female line, Rare Susan (by Agrarian, a stakes-placed son of Sickle), is a winning half sister to 1938 Illinois Derby winner Gov. Chandler (by Reigh Count) and to Spiteful Sue (by Heather Broom), dam of two-time Colonial Handicap winner Venomous (by Mel Hash) and 1959 Vagrancy Handicap winner Dandy Blitzer (by Bull Dandy) and second dam of 1968 Black Helen Handicap winner Treacherous and the good sprinter and sire Explodent.
Fun facts
- The Bold Ruckus Stakes is part of the Ontario Sire Stakes series at Woodbine. It was inaugurated in 1997 and is contested by 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs on turf.
Last updated: November 10, 2024